


I Can’t Live Without You (i guess i’ll live as a ghost)

by TheRoomWhereItHappened347



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Comforting Kozume Kenma, Hurt Kuroo Tetsurou, Hurt/confort, M/M, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, Starts around season 1, Unrequited Love, Unrequited Soulmates, Worried Kozume Kenma, your soulmate’s name can appear anywhere on your body
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:33:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27190456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRoomWhereItHappened347/pseuds/TheRoomWhereItHappened347
Summary: Less than 5% of the world’s population can have an unrequited soulmate. For example:X’s romantic soulmate is Y but Y’s romantic soulmate is Z and Z is Y’s.If Yamaguchi’s name was purple on Tsukishima’s wrist...Kuroo had an unrequited soulmate bond.
Relationships: Kozume Kenma/Hinata Shoyou, Kuroo Tetsurou/Kozume Kenma (platonic), Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 4
Kudos: 22





	I Can’t Live Without You (i guess i’ll live as a ghost)

**Author's Note:**

> 1) When I say editing this was the most annoying thing ever, I mean it. I tried editing it as ‘Rich Text’ but I guess it’s not meant for mobile ao3 because it was hell. 
> 
> 2) There will be at least one more chapter. 
> 
> 3) This would’ve been my entry for HQ Angst Week prompt 1 but I changed my mind for something else. 
> 
> 4) Enjoy the fic and leave a kudos and comment!

A Guide To Soulmates, written by Nazakai Yaorozu

-Your soulmate’s name (platonic and romantic) will appear a few hours after you meet them. It can be anywhere on your body (get rid of the myth that the names will always appear on your shoulder!) 

-Wherever the first name appears on your body, the second will appear above or below it. For example:  
Your platonic soulmate’s name appears on your shoulder. Your romantic soulmate’s name will appear above or below that.

-If your soulmate’s name is written in blue, they are your platonic soulmate.

-If your soulmate’s name is written in red, they are your romantic soulmate.

-Congratulations (!) if your soulmate’s name is written in purple. That means they are your platonic and romantic soulmate.

-Around 50% of the world’s population* will have mixed platonic soulmates. For example:  
X’s soulmate is Y but Y’s soulmate is Z. That can be considered normal! 

-Less than 5% of the world’s population** can have an unrequited soulmate. For example:  
X’s romantic soulmate is Y but Y’s romantic soulmate is Z and Z is Y’s. 

*Taken from the census in 19XX.  
**Taken from the census in 19XX.  
____________________________________________

“All right, sit down so we can go over the strategy!” Kuroo called out as he threw the last remaining ball into the basket, smirking when it fell in. 

Nekoma had a match against a fallen team from Miyagi called ‘Karasuno’, Coach Nekomata mentioning something about having another ‘Battle of the Garbage Dump’ or something. 

The strategy was fairly standard for Nekoma facing a new team: stay on the defensive and watch what the new team were doing, then use whatever they had gathered against said team and block them so much they got frustrated and started making mistakes. 

The next day went normally: wake up, go to school and get on the bus to head to Miyagi. So why did something feel a bit off? 

‘Maybe it’s the excitement of facing a new team,’ Kuroo thought to himself as he watched the scenery go by, one earphone in playing music and the other out so he could contribute to conversation if needed. 

Being in Miyagi for a training camp was pretty fun, albeit he had to motivate Kenma to run with the promise of apple pie later- oh wait where was Kenma? 

“I’ll catch up with you guys later, I’ve gotta find Kenma,” Kuroo told his team. “Kai, you lead the rest!” 

Jogging through the streets of Miyagi was a bit frustrating considering he went in circles a couple of times, but he found Kenma talking to an orange haired boy...oh? 

“Kenma!” He called out from behind them, watching as his best friend said goodbye to the boy. Kuroo snickered internally, the kid couldn’t have been more than 163 centimetres.

Noticing the small kanji for ‘Karasuno Volleyball Club’, Kuroo realised this would be one of the players Nekoma would be facing today. Was he the libero? 

“So~who was that?” Kuroo asked as they walked back to the training camp.

“That was Shoyou,” the setter replied as he started playing his game.

“You seemed pretty comfortable around him. Oh yeah, he plays for Karasuno from the look of it, what do you reckon his position is?”

“He said he was a middle blocker.”

“What? Really? But he’s so short!” 

“I think Karasuno will have some tricks up their sleeve.”  
___________________________________________

Damn right Karasuno had some tricks up their sleeve. What the hell was that quick attack?! 

It was amazing that Inuoka was able to catch up with it, it meant the first year had some talent, but Kenma wasn’t kidding when he said they would have some surprises.

One person who intrigued Kuroo was the other middle blocker, Tsukishima Kei.

Tsukishima definitely had the height for his position -unlike shrimp-chan, but he made it up with his ridiculous jump- however his technique wasn’t the best. Sure, his ability to read block was good, but the actual block needed work.

Maybe if there was a training camp again, perhaps in Tokyo, then Kuroo would help. 

Off-court though, Tsukishima sounded like a smartass from the way he spoke to the starting setter; it would be pretty funny if he and Kuroo were friends because there would be non-stop snarking. 

As Kuroo went up for a spike, he noticed the name ‘Yamaguchi Tadashi’ in purple on Tsukishima’s wrist, but he slammed the ball down onto the opposing court before he could give too much thought to it. 

By the end of the match, Nekoma had won both sets even though shorty had managed to find a way to change the path of his spike mid-air, but so what?   
Matches were meant for improving and Nekoma had gained a new rival.

Shaking hands with the captain -‘Daichi’, his mind supplied- Nekoma went on the coach back to Tokyo, arriving fairly late. 

“So how did you find that match?” Kuroo asked on the train as Kenma played Pokemon.

“It was...exciting.” Kuroo raised his eyebrows. “I’m looking forward to facing Shoyou again.” Damn, if Chibi-chan really got Kenma excited over volleyball then he’d have to ask coach to set up more matches...not that it was needed of course, Nekomata was ecstatic to have rekindled his rivalry with Ukai, albeit was his grandson. 

They walked home in a comfortable silence, Kuroo waving goodbye to Kenma as he ignored the throbbing in his right shoulder. He probably didn’t stretch it well enough. 

“I’m back,” he murmured once he closed the door behind him, not wanting to disturb his father and grandparents. 

He passed out on his bed the second he was done with his night routine, keeping the two pillows covering his head.   
____________________________________________

He woke up to feeling a burning sensation in his shoulder and his phone buzzing, but he answered the phone, knowing there was only one person who’d be willing to call at this time. 

“Kitten?” He mumbled into the phone, rubbing his eyes as he checked the time. 03:25.

“I found my romantic soulmate,” Kenma said quietly into the phone. 

“Huh- oh shit, who?” 

“Shoyou.”

“You mean the kid from earlier? Karasuno’s middle blocker?” Kuroo couldn’t believe Kenma’s luck. 

“Y-yeah.”

“...does he know yet?” 

“If he doesn’t now, he’ll know in the morning.” 

“Haha, well done Kenma- ow!” He dropped his phone in favour of rubbing his burning shoulder. What the hell was wrong with it? 

“Kuro?” 

“S-sorry Kenma, it’s just my shoulder’s hurting for some stupid reason...” He drifted off as he realised there was writing on his shoulder that was half-hidden by his t-shirt; specifically, red writing under Kenma’s blue name.

“Oh my god.” 

“Kuro, what’s happening?”

“I just got my soulmate.” He moved his t-shirt as far away from his shoulder as he could to read the writing, a grin forming as he read the name ‘Tsukishima Kei’. 

Oh wait. 

He remembered the purple name on Tsukishima’s wrist. 

‘Yamaguchi Tadashi’. 

“C-can I call you back later kitten?” ‘Please say yes please say yes please say-’ 

“Sure.” 

“Thanks.” He hung up, staring at his soulmate’s name as the name ‘Yamaguchi Tadashi’ flashed in his mind. 

Wasn’t Yamaguchi part of Karasuno? He was the one with dark green hair and freckles on the side? 

If Yamaguchi’s name was purple on Tsukishima’s wrist...  
Kuroo had an unrequited soulmate bond.

The realisation hit him like a truck, making him sit on the floor against the edge of his bed with his knees up to his chest.

How many people had unrequited soulmate bonds in the world? Something like 5%? He searched up the figure. 

‘Less than 5% of the world have unrequited soulmates’ the article supplied. How valid was the figure? The census was taken a few years ago, but it was a fairly recent figure and they had been accurate since 1900...

He was that unlucky.

Kuroo knew that from a young age he would take care of his soulmates, and he’d kept his promise by taking care of Kenma, but he couldn’t take care of Tsukishima to that extent. Not when someone else was meant to do that instead of him. 

He’d dreamt of doing so many things when he met his romantic soulmate: introducing them to volleyball or playing matches against them if they already played, going on dates to the park on that perfect spring day, lying under the stars and holding hands as they made wishes...

What was that quote again? Someone can be right for you but you’re not right for them? 

So then was it Kuroo’s own fault that he wasn’t right for Tsukishima? Or was the universe looking to screw with him like it did his parents? 

Would Tsukishima know Kuroo was his unrequited soulmate? 

Kuroo spent the rest of the night searching for answers about unrequited soulmates and if the other person would know, but the best answers he got were from Reddit. Many said their other half didn’t know until they confessed. 

If Kuroo confessed would he make Tsukishima feel guilty?

Questions and a lump in his throat remained until the sun rose.  
____________________________________________

He didn’t realise he had fallen asleep against the side of his bed until he woke up hours later with a blanket on top of him, a pillow behind his neck and Kenma next to him playing on his DS. 

“H-huh? Kenma? What’re you doing here?” He asked, wincing at the pain in his neck as he moved it so he could face the setter.

“You never did call back earlier and you sounded like you were panicking over the phone,” Kenma replied, sending out his Ninetails to fight against a Gyrados as his long hair fell in his face, brushing it back for the nth time.

Oh, right, Kuroo has said he’d call back later but didn’t. 

“Kuro, who’s your soulmate?”

The last few hours flooded back in his mind, having been swept away previously by the surprise of Kenma being in his room. 

A lump materialised in his throat and he felt his heart start aching even though he hadn’t said the truth out loud. Maybe saying it would make it more real? 

“Kuro?” 

He couldn’t get it out. ‘C’mon Tetsurou it’s just a name.’

“Tetsu-“

“Tsukishima Kei,” he gritted out, squeezing his eyes shut so inevitable tears wouldn’t start trickling down his face. “The blonde middle blocker from Karasuno.”

“Why are you so upset about it then?” 

“Because it’s unrequited Kenma!” He burst out, jumping up as he roughly wiped away his tears. “You know when I went for a spike during the practice match and he blocked me? He already had a name on his wrist! A purple one!” Tears were running harshly down his face and he didn’t stop them, distracted by the ache in his chest. “I-I’m not meant for the person who’s meant to be my romantic soulmate!”

Why the hell did the universe have to screw him over so bad? Did he do something in a past life to deserve this? 

Arms encircled his torso and he reciprocated in a desperate attempt to gain comfort, hands shaking and tears streaming down his face as the lump in his throat grew too painful to fight off. 

“I-I know it’s not the end of the world because there are others out there, but less than 5% of people have unrequited soulmates. That figures that it’s highly likely no one else in Japan is not going to have a soulmate,” he mumbled, more to himself than Kenma. “Not many people would be willing to leave their soulmate for someone who doesn’t have one and many people find theirs young...” 

He felt like curling under the covers and not doing anything, just stare at nothing and contemplate what to do with himself or think of nothing entirely.

“Do your family know yet?” 

That sounded like another issue in itself. He didn’t think he could take another round of crying considering he did it so rarely. 

“Not yet. I’ll tell them later though, I wanna sleep now.” 

He really should cater for his friend considering Kenma was a guest, however Kenma had also hung around his house since they were 8, he knew what to do if he wanted anything. 

“Alright, sleep well Kuro.” 

He wrapped his duvet around himself in a mock-hug and dreamt of nothing.


End file.
